


The Ritual

by redKardinal



Category: Disney Fairies
Genre: Fear of Death, Fear of loss, M/M, Spells and Rituals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 05:20:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26760103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redKardinal/pseuds/redKardinal
Summary: Clank and Bobble have been lucky with the accidents in their lives. Though they fear the day their luck runs out and they inevitably leave the other behind. Desperate for a way to avoid losing each other forever, the boys try a solution that they fear may not work.
Relationships: Bobble | Phineas T. Kettletree/Clank
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	The Ritual

**Author's Note:**

  * For [creekblues](https://archiveofourown.org/users/creekblues/gifts).



> Hello all!  
> Today is my friend's birthday!  
> This story is based on a concept she came up with years ago and I decided I'd write a little bit about it for her special day.  
> I hope whomever is reading this enjoys her idea.  
> That said, Happy Birthday my fellow Fairy Friend!  
> ~RK

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Clank asked as he followed Bobble through the dark woods.

“No.” Bobble whispered. He held a large book to his chest as he floated carefully among the trees. He didn’t want to disturb any slumbering animals. They had been so careful sneaking out this far and the last thing they needed was to flee from some curious or hungry creature in the pitch dark night.

Clank made a frightened noise behind him and Bobble glanced back, seeing him shrink away from a shadowy tree. “Did you see something?” Bobble whispered.

Clank shook his head. “No, I’m just nervous.”

“Me too.” Bobble admitted.

“Why exactly are we doing this then?” Clank asked.

Bobble didn’t answer and continued forward. Clank knew exactly why they were doing this. He’d been with him every step of the way. This was practically his idea to begin with, but Bobble didn’t want to point that out. He knew whether he answered Clank or not, he would still follow Bobble all the way to the end.

This whole crazy plan was a long time coming. They didn’t exactly know what event specifically prompted it, but they both knew enough had happened to make it necessary. At least to them it was.

There had been too many accidents. Too many times when they’d been in danger. Whether it be attacks from predator animals or accidents in the workshop there had been way too many that they’d been involved with. They had both been lucky enough that the worst they’d received was scars. Sometimes just bumps and bruises had happened, a few fractures and breaks. But it was still too much, and as lucky as they were… eventually they both knew their luck would eventually run out.

Sooner or later one or both of them could end up dead.

Bobble didn’t like to think about it. He’d come close to death a few times. Clank had too. They rarely talked about it, and they knew without saying it was because they were terrified. There were too many unknowns when it came to death. What if Bobble died first and Clank lived another fifty years alone? What if Clank died and Bobble couldn’t live without him? What even happened _after_ death?

That last question drove both of them to dig for answers. They searched almost wildly for answers. But how would anyone know what happened after death? Anyone they could ask was alive. They only had guesses, but that didn’t help either of them.

They researched heavily, tearing through book after book in the library. It got to a point where Scribble nearly banned them for an entire season because he was worried that their obsessive searching was bad for them.

The research didn’t help anyway. Nothing written by any of the keepers in the past, nor the one in the present had anything that said what happened to you when you died. The best they could find was what the living did with your bodies once you were already dead. It wasn’t enough.

However, a year ago they finally found something that gave them hope. Bobble found an old book with symbols they didn’t recognize across the cover. It was hidden behind the shelves of the library inside an old box. Clank had discovered it by chance when a loose page tore from his open book and blew behind the shelf. He spotted the corner of the box sticking out of the dirt. He unearthed it and he and Bobble opened the box to find the large book inside.

Before they could read it, Scribble took it from them. He scolded the pair and said that book was hidden for a reason and was forbidden to read. But there was something about it. Something that they both knew it would help ease their fears. This something drove them to do something terrible and unexpected from the both of them.

They stole the book.

Late at night when Scribble wasn’t there, they snuck back to the library and searched til they found where Scribble had hidden the book. They removed it from its box, leaving heavy stones in its place before sealing it and stole the tome away and hid it in their house.

They read through it every night in secret. Bobble realized quickly why Scribble said it was forbidden. The book contained old magic that was both powerful and dangerous. These spells predated even Queen Clarion’s reign. Some spells he recognized from old stories, but he had always assumed they were fake. Others he’d never heard of before.

But neither he nor Clank were interested in many of these spells. They had no need to turn anyone to stone or to set eternal fire to anything. They didn’t need to curse anyone with agony or bless anyone with abundant strength. There were only two spells that interested them.

The first one allowed them to live forever. It seemed like a dream come true! They no longer had to fear dying or leaving the other alone. They could live til the end of time and keep on living! Forever!

“Wait…” Clank had said. “If we live forever, we’ll lose all our friends. We can’t _all_ be immortal. And I don’t think I can bear losing everyone over and over again.”

Bobble had agreed with him without much thought. “You’re right. As amazing as it would be to spend eternity with you as ourselves… It wouldn’t be right without our friends.”

So they opted for the other spell.

Clank followed closely behind Bobble who lead the way to the spot they’d spent the last six months preparing. He stared at the ancient book in Bobble’s arms while fidgeting with the blade in his own hands. He was still extremely nervous. While Clank agreed that this spell would answer their worry of losing each other forever, he was still afraid of it going wrong.

Part of him wondered if it would be better to accept their one life together and be happy with what they had now. But the greater part of him didn’t want to let go of Bobble. He wanted to be with Bobble forever. Some way, somehow. And he knew if this spell did what they thought it would, then forever was theirs to take.

Finally they came to a clearing in the middle of the woods. The grass was gone and a ring of carved poles had been placed in the ground. Each pole had a different mark from the book carved into it and a wax candle perched on top. The dirt around the poles had more of the symbols drawn into it. In the center of the circle was a clay bowl filled with a dark ink. Two candles stood beside the bowl. Everything set up in a specific way.

They’d done this. They carved each pole. They drew each symbol in the dirt. They made the candles on the poles together. Bobble sculpted the bowl, Clank had made the ink. They each dipped one of the two candles by the bowl. Months of preparation lay below them as they hovered in the air.

Bobble held out his hand to Clank. “Ready?”

“No.” Clank admitted, taking Bobble’s hand. They landed in the circle on either side of the bowl, each by each other’s candle. Bobble lay the book on the ground, laid open to their spell. They sat down across from each other.

For a moment they both just sat there. They could almost hear each other’s heart beats. If they were wrong… if this didn’t work… neither wanted to think about it.

Slowly Bobble reached up and undid the button of his shirt and slipped it off his shoulders. At the same time, Clank pulled his own shirt over his head. He leaned forward and dipped his fingers into the ink. Bobble held out his arms and waited while Clank slowly, carefully drew the proper shapes onto his arms and chest. When he’d finished, Clank sat back, raised his own arms and held still while Bobble repeated the process on him.

When Bobble sat back, Clank looked in his eyes. Nervousness hung there matching his own. His eyes trailed down Bobble’s body at the ancient markings painted there. Clank wanted to say something to make the trembling go away. But the only thought he had was _the sooner we do this, the sooner we’ll know._

Bobble spoke first. “If it works, this will all be worth it.”

“If it doesn’t?” Clank couldn’t stop himself asking.

Bobble half smiled and shrugged.

They each stood and went around the circle, lighting the candles one by one until the circle glowed around them. They then knelt where they started and lit those candles as well. Again they waited. They waited as if they expected someone to stop them. When no one came, Bobble reached for the book.

Clank grabbed his wrist and Bobble looked up. “No matter how this goes… please know that here and now… I love you. And I’m so happy for everything we’ve had so far.”

Bobble smiled. “I know. I love you too.”

He held the book out in front of him and read out loud. Clank never could understand this part, but Bobble assured him that he could do it. The strange sounds that left his mouth sent a chill down Clank’s spine, but he refused to tear his gaze from Bobble. _Maybe nothing will happen. Maybe it’s fake after all._

When Bobble ceased speaking the book snapped shut on its own. It fell to the ground as if it had jumped from his hands and stood beside the ink bowl and candles. The flames had turned an eerie dark purple, and the surrounding trees were lost. They each stared around terrified, but soon Clank remembered that this wasn’t a sign of mistake.

He reached down and grabbed the knife where he’d laid it by the bowl. He pressed the blade to his palm and drew it across. He winced at the pain and passed the blade to Bobble waiting for him to do the same while he felt the warm blood pool in his hand. Bobble bit his lip as he drew the blade. He dropped the knife in the bowl and held his bleeding hand out to Clank.

Still trembling, Clank raised his hand to Bobble’s. They pressed their palms together and laced their fingers together. They winced and hissed in unison, never looking away from each other. The flames burned brighter and the symbols on the ground, poles and their bodies all began to glow. Bobble inclined his head as if to say _you first._

Clank nodded and took a deep breath. _There’s no turning back now._ But looking at Bobble he was certain now that he didn’t _want_ to turn back. They were in this together and hopefully always would be. “I am Clank the Tinker.” He said, his voice sure and steady. “I am putting forth my soul and spirit…” he stared at Bobble and nodded.

Bobble closed his eyes and steadied himself. He tightened his fingers on Clank’s hand. “I am Phineas Tailer Kettletree the Tinker. I am putting forth my soul and spirit.”

The pain in their palms pulsed and the blood dripping down their wrists stopped in place. The flames of the circle went completely still. The only motion was from their bodies and the flickering flames between them. Clank squeezed Bobble’s hand. _It’s okay._

“I put forth my soul to forever follow the soul of another.” They said in unison. “Through all time and all life times may our souls be entwined. May we always find each other.”

“In love.” Clank said.

“And friendship.” Bobble added.

“Forever.” They said.

“I bond my soul to the soul of Phineas Tailer Kettletree the Tinker.” Clank said.

“I bond my soul to the soul of Clank the Tinker.” Bobble said.

“Let us be together…”

“…always.”

In an instant their heads were forced back. The symbols all glowed. Light shown from their eyes and mouths in shades of green. The lights entwined above them in spiraling swirls, their words echoing in the space around them. Their clasped hands shook and they gripped tight enough to bruise. Everything stopped, they hung in mid air with no Pixie Dust; no flap of their wings.

**_MAY IT BE SO._ **

A strong gust of wind surrounded them and they dropped to the ground.

\- - -

Bobble woke first. He was scared and confused. _Have we really done it?_ He ran his hands over his torso. Everything seemed to be in place. He looked down to double check. The only strange thing was that the markings Clank had painted on him were gone as if they hadn’t ever been there. A quick glance around told him that nothing they’d prepared had remained. The symbols, the poles, the candles. Even the bowl of ink was gone. All that remained was him, Clank and the book.

Bobble crawled over to him and rolled Clank so his head was in his lap. He laid his hand on the side of Clank’s face. “Wake up…” he whispered. For a brief moment he was afraid Clank wouldn’t. That something had gone wrong and that Clank was gone. But then his eyes fluttered open and his soft brown gaze met him.

“What happened?” Clank asked. “Did we do it?”

Bobble looked around again. “I don’t know… I think so?”

Clank raised the hand he’d cut. There wasn’t even a mark where the skin had broken. “I kind of remember doing it… but…”

Bobble raised his own hand. “But there’s really no proof is there?”

Clank slowly sat up. “So how will we know?”

Bobble felt a cold fear seep into him. “I… don’t know.”

Clank looked up to the sky. “Well… I guess for now we should enjoy the time we have. And then we’ll see in the next life if we find each other.”

_It had to work_ Bobble thought to himself. “Clank, I will always find you. Spell or no spell my soul needs yours. I promise I will _Always_ find you.”

He smiled. “I’ll find you too.”

\- - -

A young man in his early twenties blinked awake. He hadn’t meant to doze off in his college library while studying. He’d had a rather vivid dream again. A dream of strange purple fire and swirling green light and… and blood. He’d had this dream before as well as many other vivid dreams. What always stuck with him the longest when he woke was the soft brown eyes that looked at him like the world’s most precious treasure.

He sat up and adjusted his glasses and turned back to his mechanical engineering text book. Something about those dreams felt so real. But they couldn’t be. He wasn’t a fairy. Fairies weren’t real. But something about those eyes felt _very real._

He shifted in his seat and knocked his backpack over. The entire contents spilled out on the floor. The other students around him looked over and glared. He dropped to his knees and started shoving his books back in.

“Let me help you.” A boy knelt by him and started collecting his things with him.

“Thank you.” He replied. He glanced at his helper. He was large and had shaggy black hair. He seemed somewhat familiar, but he couldn’t place from where.

“There you go.” The black haired boy said, zipping up his backpack. He stood and offered his hand. He took the black haired boy’s hand and let himself be pulled to his feet.

“Again, thank you.”

“No problem.” The boy smiled. And now the boy with the glasses caught a look at the black haired boy’s eyes. The same soft brown he saw in his dreams. “Say don’t I know you from somewhere?”

The boy with the glasses wanted to say no, but instead croaked out. “Maybe?”

Recognition filled the black haired boy’s face. “Yeah! You’re in Ms. Mary’s class, right?”

He nodded. “Third row, fifth seat.”

“Me too! I’m tenth row, seat eleven.” He smiled. It seemed familiar too. “I thought I recognized the back of your head.”

The boy with the glasses swallowed. “I’m Bobbie.” He said, holding out his hand.

“Clark” the black haired boy replied, shaking Bobbie’s hand. “Hey did you get last night’s homework? I’m a little stuck on it.”

“Oh, sure. You want some help with it?” Bobbie asked.

Clark nodded. “Why don’t you show me over lunch? My treat.”

Bobbie grinned and nodded. He went with Clark for what didn’t feel like the first time, but certainly wouldn’t be the last.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Once again, happy birthday creekblues!  
> Your friend  
> ~RK


End file.
